Ifrit
By Akai Ku
Chapter Three: Salvation At A Price
Eileen woke up the next morning to the serene chirping of birds, face down in the grass. It took her a moment to figure out what she was doing there. Suddenly, a voice filled her head, a deep, powerful bass voice, yet somehow still gentle:
**CANST THOU STAND, MINE CHILD?**
Terribly startled, Eileen leapt to her feet instinctively, forgetting how seriously she had been wounded. She whirled around and drew in a sharp breath when she saw what had "spoken" to her.
It was so bizarre, but standing there in the sparkling, dewy grass, and a rainbow shining brightly behind it, it was truly beautiful. It was almost like a giant dog. It had mostly light brown fur, fur that gave off a strange light. Its paws were a grayish white, and there was what looked like a chain less, steel manacle above each paw. Its face... Its face looked almost as if it was wearing three masks, one on top of the other on it. A red one on the bottom, the largest, covering the entire face and stout muzzle.. Then there was a golden mask, coming from the bridge of the creature's mask-covered muzzle, up to the top of its head, forming a "flat crest". The third was a silver mask, very small, and it formed a small, angular, "mustache," though that wasn't really a very good way to describe it at all. All three "masks" were glowing brightly, like fire. It had stiff wings, the same silver color of the tiniest mask. Lastly, it had a long, flowing white mane.
Eileen stared at the amazing creature. "Wh-what are you?"
A warm, happy feeling seemed to fill her chest, making her smile: Laughter. **I SEE THOU CAN STAND. THAT IS GOOD.**
Eileen started. Sure enough, she was fully healed, the pain gone. Had she been hurt at all? Was it all a dream...?
**NO, IT WAS ALL REAL, MINE POOR CHILD. THE SCARF WORN BY THEE ON THYNE HEAD...LOOK AT IT...**
Eileen's hand shook as she reached for her bandana, partially because she was afraid of what she might find, partially because the beast could read her thoughts.
It was soaking wet. She pulled back her hand in surprise, and found it to be red with her own blood.
She swallowed, trying not to vomit. When she peeled the bandana off of her head, the entire square of cloth was crimson, but there was no wound, not even a scratch, on her scalp.
"What the hell is going on?"
The giant, fiery dog advanced a step. Eileen felt almost as if she should advance too, but stopped herself.
***WE ARE AT THE BOTTOM OF THE CANYON. THOU HADST FALLEN, BROKEN NEARLY EVERY BONE IN THYNE BODY....***
"THEN WHY CAN I STAND UP?!" Eileen was screaming, tears running down her cheeks. She was in a state of total confusion; everything natural and logical to her seemed as if it were being thrown down and danced upon.
***THOU WERST DYING. FREEZING TO DEATH. I WARMED THEE WITH MINE FLAME. BUT ALL WHO FEEL ME...ARE PART OF ME...***
"Huh...?" She was beginning to feel so full of awe from just looking at the beast that she found herself respecting it instinctivly.
***WHEN MINE HEAVENLY FLAME HEALED THEE FROM THE COLD, IT HEALED YOUR BONES AS WELL. BUT MINE FIRE IS NOW PART OF THEE, AS THEE ART NOW A PART OF MINESELF. WE BREATHE TOGETHER. WE MOVE TOGETHER. WE THINK TOGETHER...***
Eileen forgot the awe. She embraced rage. "You stupid m-mutt!!" It felt odd to insult the beast, like she was insulting Fire itself. "You can control me!? READ MY MIND?!"
The beast closed its glowing eyes calmly, as if it were meditating, then opened them again before its booming bass voice rumbled inside of Eileen's head again.***NO. ONLY IF YOU WILL LET ME LOOK. I AM NOT AN ENEMY; I AM A FRIEND. SOMETHING EVIL IS ABOUT TO HAPPEN... I KNOW. TO HUMANS AND POKEMON ALIKE. I KNOW.... WE OF THE STONE ARE NOT WRONG OFTEN...***
(We Of The Stone...) That's when it hit Eileen, hard.
"You're... Entei, The Legendary Dog of Fire?"
A slow, deliberate nod from the beast- no, the deity.. Eileen fell to her knees and hung her head, trembling.
"I-I didn't think... I thought this was some stupid joke... I know it can't be but... I still thought...Entei... A prank..."
Entei's voice filled her head again, but this time, it was not so strong. It wasn't like a great bonfire anymore: More like the flickering flame of a homemade wax candle licking the cheeks on a cold winter night.
***It is all right, Eileen. I know thyne name. I know many things, like what the volcanoes say, what the sun thinks... Mayhap thou shouldst know mine name?***
Her head snapped up. She looked into the god's burning eyes with curiosity, not flinching. "Do...Do gods have names?"
Entei's laughter again. Eileen liked it when he laughed. ***Yes...We do hath names. Mine name is Ifrit. I knoweth not what it means: It simply means that I Am Ifrit.***
And Eileen understood this. She ran her fingers through Ifrit's fleecey mane. "This evil... Is it the Rockets?"
***Thyne question couldst be answered with a yes or a no... Yes, it is the "Rockets,"... But they are going to be wiped out in time... It is their leader who is to blame. He hast taken the genetic code of a Pokemon and twisted it...***
"Like Mewtwo?" Almost no human soul knew who or what Mewtwo was, but since Ifrit was extremely familiar with the it, Eileen at least knew some details.
***Yes, almost exactly like that. They even used Mew's genetic code again... In a sense, this is "Mewthree"...***
"Did he kill those people?"
***All of the people he killed were undercover Rocket agents...***
Eileen took a step back. ***Rich with many Pokemon... Does it not make sense?"***
"It makes sense Ifrit... Sort of... Why does he want them dead? Do you even know? I...can't find it...."
Ifrit shook his great, snowy mane. ***No, I do not. I sense it will be ominous and disastrous for all things living... Mewthree is quite strong.... I had feared we couldst not stop him... But with thyne help, we may. ***
"You need my help...?"
***Yes, mine child. We need a human to bring us together, to bind us. We alone cannot do it... Defeat this "Mewthree".***
Eileen looked confused. "Who's 'We'?"
Ifrit stared into space, then said in voice like dying cinders:
***Shiva, Ifrit, Ramuh; The Element's brethren.
Allamilhandau, Illex's Guardian.
She who hides in shadows, of death's darkest night,
He, of twisted human thoughts, who glows of unholy light.
But these six all together must be bound,
And a human who can do this, living must be found.***
***Yes, I know thyne "sixth grade English teacher" could write better verse,*** said Ifrit, chuckling, ***but these humans were new to our earth...***
Eileen laughed, for that was indeed what she had been thinking. Then her face became quite serious. "All right... I've got to get you, Riakou Suicune, and Mewtwo together... I don't know who 'she who hides in shadows' is, and as for Illex Guardian, I've no clue what to do..."
***To start with,*** began Ifrit, ***thou must remain dead...***
(AUTHOR'S NOTES): If the "Ye Olde English" is confusing, e-mail me. It's going to stop in the next chapter, because Eileen will be able to 'translate' Ifrit's thoughts better.
No, they are not the Final Fantasy Espers/Summons/GFs/Eidolons; I just stole some of their names. But MOST of those were excellent games.
By Akai Ku
Chapter Three: Salvation At A Price
Eileen woke up the next morning to the serene chirping of birds, face down in the grass. It took her a moment to figure out what she was doing there. Suddenly, a voice filled her head, a deep, powerful bass voice, yet somehow still gentle:
**CANST THOU STAND, MINE CHILD?**
Terribly startled, Eileen leapt to her feet instinctively, forgetting how seriously she had been wounded. She whirled around and drew in a sharp breath when she saw what had "spoken" to her.
It was so bizarre, but standing there in the sparkling, dewy grass, and a rainbow shining brightly behind it, it was truly beautiful. It was almost like a giant dog. It had mostly light brown fur, fur that gave off a strange light. Its paws were a grayish white, and there was what looked like a chain less, steel manacle above each paw. Its face... Its face looked almost as if it was wearing three masks, one on top of the other on it. A red one on the bottom, the largest, covering the entire face and stout muzzle.. Then there was a golden mask, coming from the bridge of the creature's mask-covered muzzle, up to the top of its head, forming a "flat crest". The third was a silver mask, very small, and it formed a small, angular, "mustache," though that wasn't really a very good way to describe it at all. All three "masks" were glowing brightly, like fire. It had stiff wings, the same silver color of the tiniest mask. Lastly, it had a long, flowing white mane.
Eileen stared at the amazing creature. "Wh-what are you?"
A warm, happy feeling seemed to fill her chest, making her smile: Laughter. **I SEE THOU CAN STAND. THAT IS GOOD.**
Eileen started. Sure enough, she was fully healed, the pain gone. Had she been hurt at all? Was it all a dream...?
**NO, IT WAS ALL REAL, MINE POOR CHILD. THE SCARF WORN BY THEE ON THYNE HEAD...LOOK AT IT...**
Eileen's hand shook as she reached for her bandana, partially because she was afraid of what she might find, partially because the beast could read her thoughts.
It was soaking wet. She pulled back her hand in surprise, and found it to be red with her own blood.
She swallowed, trying not to vomit. When she peeled the bandana off of her head, the entire square of cloth was crimson, but there was no wound, not even a scratch, on her scalp.
"What the hell is going on?"
The giant, fiery dog advanced a step. Eileen felt almost as if she should advance too, but stopped herself.
***WE ARE AT THE BOTTOM OF THE CANYON. THOU HADST FALLEN, BROKEN NEARLY EVERY BONE IN THYNE BODY....***
"THEN WHY CAN I STAND UP?!" Eileen was screaming, tears running down her cheeks. She was in a state of total confusion; everything natural and logical to her seemed as if it were being thrown down and danced upon.
***THOU WERST DYING. FREEZING TO DEATH. I WARMED THEE WITH MINE FLAME. BUT ALL WHO FEEL ME...ARE PART OF ME...***
"Huh...?" She was beginning to feel so full of awe from just looking at the beast that she found herself respecting it instinctivly.
***WHEN MINE HEAVENLY FLAME HEALED THEE FROM THE COLD, IT HEALED YOUR BONES AS WELL. BUT MINE FIRE IS NOW PART OF THEE, AS THEE ART NOW A PART OF MINESELF. WE BREATHE TOGETHER. WE MOVE TOGETHER. WE THINK TOGETHER...***
Eileen forgot the awe. She embraced rage. "You stupid m-mutt!!" It felt odd to insult the beast, like she was insulting Fire itself. "You can control me!? READ MY MIND?!"
The beast closed its glowing eyes calmly, as if it were meditating, then opened them again before its booming bass voice rumbled inside of Eileen's head again.***NO. ONLY IF YOU WILL LET ME LOOK. I AM NOT AN ENEMY; I AM A FRIEND. SOMETHING EVIL IS ABOUT TO HAPPEN... I KNOW. TO HUMANS AND POKEMON ALIKE. I KNOW.... WE OF THE STONE ARE NOT WRONG OFTEN...***
(We Of The Stone...) That's when it hit Eileen, hard.
"You're... Entei, The Legendary Dog of Fire?"
A slow, deliberate nod from the beast- no, the deity.. Eileen fell to her knees and hung her head, trembling.
"I-I didn't think... I thought this was some stupid joke... I know it can't be but... I still thought...Entei... A prank..."
Entei's voice filled her head again, but this time, it was not so strong. It wasn't like a great bonfire anymore: More like the flickering flame of a homemade wax candle licking the cheeks on a cold winter night.
***It is all right, Eileen. I know thyne name. I know many things, like what the volcanoes say, what the sun thinks... Mayhap thou shouldst know mine name?***
Her head snapped up. She looked into the god's burning eyes with curiosity, not flinching. "Do...Do gods have names?"
Entei's laughter again. Eileen liked it when he laughed. ***Yes...We do hath names. Mine name is Ifrit. I knoweth not what it means: It simply means that I Am Ifrit.***
And Eileen understood this. She ran her fingers through Ifrit's fleecey mane. "This evil... Is it the Rockets?"
***Thyne question couldst be answered with a yes or a no... Yes, it is the "Rockets,"... But they are going to be wiped out in time... It is their leader who is to blame. He hast taken the genetic code of a Pokemon and twisted it...***
"Like Mewtwo?" Almost no human soul knew who or what Mewtwo was, but since Ifrit was extremely familiar with the it, Eileen at least knew some details.
***Yes, almost exactly like that. They even used Mew's genetic code again... In a sense, this is "Mewthree"...***
"Did he kill those people?"
***All of the people he killed were undercover Rocket agents...***
Eileen took a step back. ***Rich with many Pokemon... Does it not make sense?"***
"It makes sense Ifrit... Sort of... Why does he want them dead? Do you even know? I...can't find it...."
Ifrit shook his great, snowy mane. ***No, I do not. I sense it will be ominous and disastrous for all things living... Mewthree is quite strong.... I had feared we couldst not stop him... But with thyne help, we may. ***
"You need my help...?"
***Yes, mine child. We need a human to bring us together, to bind us. We alone cannot do it... Defeat this "Mewthree".***
Eileen looked confused. "Who's 'We'?"
Ifrit stared into space, then said in voice like dying cinders:
***Shiva, Ifrit, Ramuh; The Element's brethren.
Allamilhandau, Illex's Guardian.
She who hides in shadows, of death's darkest night,
He, of twisted human thoughts, who glows of unholy light.
But these six all together must be bound,
And a human who can do this, living must be found.***
***Yes, I know thyne "sixth grade English teacher" could write better verse,*** said Ifrit, chuckling, ***but these humans were new to our earth...***
Eileen laughed, for that was indeed what she had been thinking. Then her face became quite serious. "All right... I've got to get you, Riakou Suicune, and Mewtwo together... I don't know who 'she who hides in shadows' is, and as for Illex Guardian, I've no clue what to do..."
***To start with,*** began Ifrit, ***thou must remain dead...***
(AUTHOR'S NOTES): If the "Ye Olde English" is confusing, e-mail me. It's going to stop in the next chapter, because Eileen will be able to 'translate' Ifrit's thoughts better.
No, they are not the Final Fantasy Espers/Summons/GFs/Eidolons; I just stole some of their names. But MOST of those were excellent games.